Reviews about Car Seats

khotek says "Seemed fine at first, but quickly fell apart" about Graco ComfortSport

khotek — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:25:26 GMT

I bought this car seat and was excited about the cute girly print and pretty good reviews, and I always though Graco was a reliable brand. Unfortunately I'm afraid many of the reviews must have been written before using this seat for a while, unless I just got a lemon. First the pros:

1. Low price

2. Fairly easy to install latch system, although i don't think any are really easy :)

Cons:

1. The straps drive me OUT OF MY MIND! They get so twisted, and it is impossible to untwist them and keep them that way. They actually twisted inside of the plastic chest clip pieces, and I have a really hard time moving them. Not to mention i feel this makes them somewhat unsafe, as it becomes hard to get them adjusted and tightened at the right level.

2. 40 pound weight limit is low compared to many convertibles on the market.

3. The seat cover started falling apart. I only took it off and washed it one time and let it air dry, and it does not fit back on like it should, plus the material itself is ripping....

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JeanaHiggins says "I love the Graco Nautilus so much I bought two!!!" about Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat

JeanaHiggins — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:12:09 GMT

I bought a Graco Nautilus when they first came out for my son. He was about a year and a half at the time, and we were having another baby so he got moved up. :) I did a lot of research, and although this car seat was new it got a lot of positive buzz from people on the car seat safety baby board I visited. Well he is now three, and my daughter is one and a half, and also ready to move up. Im so excited that these now come in pink! They look great in the back seat. I drive Hyundai Elantra, and have one on each side. I love the cupholders, and so do the kids. They aren't those cheapy kind you clip on, they are built into the car seat. If we have another child, we will get another Nautilus! They are car seats that are in for the long haul! They go up to 100 lbs!!! (Of course we would need bigger car, there is no way you could fit three of these across) My favorite part is that the five point harness goes up to 65 lbs! Anyway this is a great car seat!

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j1029d says "It does it all!" about Baby Trend Flex lock

j1029d — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:31:28 GMT

When we registered for this system we really didn't know what we were getting. However, what we soon found is that this travel system did it all. It protected our newborn daughter and after we purchased the second base we were able to put the seat in either of our cars. Very convenient! Now that she's three I can say that this system has held up remarkably well. It's been on airplanes and to amusement parks in three states. While it's not made for strolling through the grass I've never had any problems in paved or concreted areas. The only drawback is that the stroller fabric itself is hard to remove and thereby clean. I think that they should find a way for moms and dads to more conveniently remove the seat back so that it can be changed when life's little accidents happen. I highly recommend this Baby Trend travel system to anyone who's lucky enough to pick it up at the store.

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cmyamamo says "A good solid carseat" about Britax Decathlon

cmyamamo — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:31:26 GMT

I thoroughly reviewed convertible carseats before deciding to get the Britax Decathlon. My sister had one and loved it, so this helped. Plus the reviews online for this were great. It's expensive though but since it lasts until your kid is about 6, I felt that even though it was a lot of money up front, it would be worth it. Here is a tip as well...if you don't care about the color you can get this car seat for about $180.00 shipped.

I like this carseat. I don't love it. I'm very short and in order to get my daughter in this snuggly I have to crawl into my car to get leverage before I pull on the strap. This is difficult for my parents to do as they aren't as limber. The straps sometimes get a bit twisted when being pulled, so this makes it even more difficult.

Here's the good thing though, once she's in, I know she's in. The carseat is not only rated really well, it feels safe. My daughter seems to enjoy it and she's got plenty of room to grow.

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cmyamamo says "A pain in the a** every time you use it" about Graco SnugRide car seat

cmyamamo — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:25:03 GMT

When I was pregnant I searched and searched to find the safest carseat out there. Consumer Reports wrote that the Graco Snugride was the safest on the market at that time, so I promptly registered for it.

I had no idea until I actually had my daughter what the problem with this car seat would be. Now there must be different models of this carseat but all are called snugride. My model could only be adjusted from the back. So instead of being able to push down a button on the front of the seat and pulling so that my daughter would be snugly in there, I had to adjust each strap manually in the back. This also means that in order to get her out I had to loosen each strap manually. When you have a screaming, wiggly kid, this makes for an unhappy situation.

The stroller that comes with this set is big, bulky, and heavy. I guess they all are. I used mine once. It was just easier to carry her in the carseat than to deal with the stroller as well.

If you get this seat, make...

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cneismann says "I know my baby is safe and secure in the Graco SnugRide seat." about Graco SnugRide car seat

cneismann — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:19:04 GMT

I have owned three of the Graco SnugRide car seats over the past 5 years, one for each of my three sons. The seats are really quite wonderful. I have never had a problem strapping the kids into the seats, the cover material is durable, and the safety ratings by consumer reports were really impressive. I like that the seats are not impossible to buckle, its even somewhat feasible with a sleeping baby. The sunshade on the seat covers fairly well though some sun does get into baby's eyes. That can be fixed however with a cover or blanket and in the winter, the car seat zip covers fit perfectly over the seat. I like how you can get a high level of quality from Graco for a lesser price than many other companies and I like the variety of colors and patterns available and how you can get the seat to match the stroller in a travel system and can even get matching swings and playpens. I will always buy Graco SnugRide seats for my kids, they are a safe affordable stand by.

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drolma says "Big baby beware. Seat belt installation only loosens over time." about Chicco KeyFit

drolma — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:42:33 GMT

At first I loved the Chicco KeyFit. My son was born early and was only 6 lbs. He fit in the seat perfectly. This seat is great for smaller babies.

The LATCH system is awesome. The seat stays secure in my husband's car using LATCH. If you have LATCH and a smaller baby, then I highly recommend the Chicco KeyFit.

This is where choosing the car seat that is right for you, rather than what is reportedly the safest comes in. If you have a larger baby, then the seat becomes too snug. My baby cries whenever we put him in the seat because it is very narrow and he is now a chunk. Also, my car is the primary car that is used for baby and does not have the LATCH system. I have found that using the seat belt only is not ideal for this car seat unless you want to be constantly reinstalling the base. The seat belt "lock" on the seat base does not really work that great and over a few uses the seat base loosens causing the need for a reinstall.

In the summer, baby was always sweaty...

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Binya says "Never have to use another car seat!" about Recaro Signo

Binya — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:41:05 GMT

Great for an infant car seat, is secure enough to help support the childs head and neck. Comfortable enough for them to fall asleep in as well! When switched to front facing my daughter loved it! It is high enough for her to be able to see out of the window and yet still has all the safety features that it should. It is very easy to manage all the extras on the car seat, the safety belt is easy enough to slide to your childs height and weight. Also when looking up safety features for this product I found that it has something called side impact protection, the seat has "side wings" to help lessen anything that may happen if an accident were to be caused. There are latch straps connected to the back of the car seat that can be attached to the car to give the car seat the extra stability to not move. The weight limit on this recaro signo is set at 20 - 70 pounds for from facing, makes it nice to know that I will not ever need another car seat after buying this one.

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kailuen says "Safest for kids." about Britax Frontier

kailuen — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:47:10 GMT

I just purchased the Frontier and installed it in my car. This is my 5th Britax car seat, I have had 3 Marathons and one Parkway. I notice several people complain about ease of install on the Frontier, and I have one thing to say. READ THE MANUAL!!! I skimmed the manual when I got it, figuring that LATCH installation would be similar to all the other Britax seats I have had. After strugging with it for a while, I went back to the manual and discovered - it isn't. The LATCH buckles are recessed into the body of the seat, which makes it impossible to tighten the conventional way one tightens a Marathon or a Roundabout. You must reach BEHIND the seat pad and pull the LATCH tethers tight that way. Perfect, Britax quality solid installation. It is illustrated that way in the manual, and had I read it thoroughly I would have had this seat in in less than 5 minutes. So, shame on me. Second, in harness mode, you MUST flip the bottom of the seat from booster mode to harness mode. This is also in...

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soojjang says "Britax Marathon-dependable but takes up too much room" about Britax Marathon

soojjang — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:39:33 GMT

I purchased the Britax Marathon for my first baby after I heard how strong and safe it was. I used to use the Graco infant carrier so when I received the Britax Marathon, I was surprised at how big and bulky it was. I guess it's because it's very strong but the height of it was too high, everytime I put my baby in I have to be careful not to hit his head on the roof the the car ( which I did few times...ouch...poor baby). I am now considering changing the car seat to something that wont take up so much space and does not sit so high in the seat. I do appreciate the dependability the Britax Marathon offers and the design is very nice as well. If I was to change it, I would make it less bulky so that the back seat can seat more than one person even with the carseat in it. Right now I can only seat one person with this huge thing taking up so much space back there. It is too expensive and the namesake is not worth such high price tag. If I was more educated with the subject...

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MrsFrecklequeen says "Great, Comfortable Seat!" about Graco My Ride 65

MrsFrecklequeen — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:40:50 GMT

The My Ride 65 comes in different colors at different stores. I had to sho around to find the color/pattern that I wanted. I liked that there are options.

On to the more important stuff.

This seat is wonderful. While it is on the large side it fits in my full size SUV. The front seat has to be pulled forward to use it. I bought this for my 25 pound 11 month old. He loves it! He sleeps really well in it on trips too. He doesn't feel too comfined and can still see eerything going on around him.

It's easy to install and ery easy to use. The strap adjuster takes a loittle getting used to but is not a problem.

All in all I am very happy with this seat and would buy it again.

It also has a 40 pound backward facing limit!! Very good for keeping the little guy safest the longest!!

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gann says "We bought another one!" about Britax Marathon

gann — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:29:20 GMT

The Britax Marathon Convertable car seat is one of the best products we've bought since we have had a baby. We loved it so much, we bought one more to put in our second car. Our son is comfortable in it as the material is soft and the frame allows him to sit with appropriate support. Other car seats we looked at didn't seem to offer the support it does on the child's lower back and that has been a concern of mine. With this one, his back is snug all the way into the car seat, but he can see around without trying to move his body forward. Even when he was a very young baby, he seemed more comfortable in this convertible seat than in his carrier combo. The harness is very secure, yet it is easy to click and snap - can be done quickly - and our son does not fuss when we are putting it on him. The extra pads provided on the harness are the same material as the seat itself and have a soft coolness to them. Seems like it would be pampering to wear them near your body. Very sturdy, fun...

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kentkr says "The Eddie Bauer car set is verstile and durable." about Eddie Bauer Alpha Omega

kentkr — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:15:23 GMT

The Eddie Bauer car seat has served myfamily well. We have using the seat since my child was a toddler. The seat is durable and versatile and comes in colors that coordinate with the inside of my SUV. The cushioned seat is durable and soft and it cleans up nicely. The seat has the five point harness and rest comfortably on my child's arms and hips. The harness is durable and cleans up nicely too. The Eddie Bauer seat provides a cushion for the head and neck and also sits back so the child is not sitting up directly but kind of lounged back into a comfortable position. The color is tan and plaid and matches with my vehicle. The seat can also be converted to a booster seat once the child is old enough to sit in a booster seat. The Eddie Bauer seat has comfortable arm rests that can swing in and out of position for the child to be able to climb into the seat themselves. We like our Eddie Bauer seat and would purchase it again if needed.

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nesseleigh says "The Britax Round about safely fits in small cars. " about Britax Roundabout

nesseleigh — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:20:23 GMT

When we were making the transition from one child to two, we began looking for a safe smaller carseat to fit inside my smaller car, a Nissan Sentra. I read Britax Roundabout reviews online and found that it was generally well liked. For the moment of installation, I knew I would never own another carseat. It was easy to install, and although it had a smaller base, even when pushing with all my strength, I could not move the carseat an inch. It was easy to fit this seat along side an infant carseat even in the back of my smaller car.

The installation wasn't the only thing about the Britax Roundabout that made me love it. Some additional basic features like adding a small piece of velcro to the shoulder strap and the sides of the seat allow for easy access of the straps when you put your child back in the seat (because they don't sit on the straps!) and this also helps to keep them from getting tangled.

The single downfall of this carseat to me is that I bought my messy two year old the seat...

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sherri3901 says "The Evenflo Triumph Advance has fit our every carseat need." about Evenflo Triumph Advance Car Seat

sherri3901 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:16:24 GMT

We've used the Evenflo Triumph Advance carseat since the day our firstborn came home from the hospital. She fit comfortable in the seat as a newborn and had excellent head support. It was easy to load her in and tighten the harnesses, even as nervous first time parents. As she grew it was simple to raise the shoulder harness level to fit her more comfortably. Once she reached the weight required to face forward, we simply switched the carseat around -- we did not need to make another carseat purchase. This in itself has made the carseat worth every penny. Knowing that the carseat has excellent safety ratings, is easy to adjust, and will be used for many more years has made it easy to recommend this product to multiple friends. We love that the carseat has such a high weight range and know we will get more than our money's worth from this carseat as it is passed from child to child in our family.

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CouponClippinMommy says "The Britax Marathon is so easy to install!" about Britax Marathon

CouponClippinMommy — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:08:37 GMT

I knew that Britax was a name that people thought of when they think of safety in car seats. When we started looking into a convertable car seat for our son we immediatly started looking into Britax. The Marathon is a middle of the road Britax, meaning there are some less expensive and some more expensive. We wanted to not spend too much money while maintaining safety for our son. We we able to test out the Britax in the store and the latching systen is the easiest I have ever seen. This is great if you are switching the car seat for car to car or taking it out when you need to. The car seat comes apart easily for washing and one can figure out how to put it back together with little effort. The manual is attached to the car seat which is very handy as you will not lose it but if can be a little hard to read it. The Marathon also comes in different patterns to fit any shoppers needs. We opted for a black and gray one that can be used for either gender. We have used this...

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ashleykins20 says "Combi Connection is great for smaller babies" about Combi Connection

ashleykins20 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:02:49 GMT

I purchased the combi connection carseat becuase we had a premature baby and wanted a carseat that would suit a smaller child. She fits comfortably in this seat, and it is easier for me the mother to carry around, since it is not bulky like other seats. Also the color schemes work for both male and female. It is easy to work, and easy to snap in the base. It also comes with a newborn foam insert to ensure a cozy fit for little newborns. The only complaint I have about this seat is that my baby girl seems to be growing out of it rather quickly, as it is a smaller seat. Her feet are hanging of the edge now that she is 9 months old, and we are considering buying her a convertable carseat so she will be more comfortable. But it worked well for us for the last 9 months and we are pleased with it. Another plus is that it fits on our stroller which was nice for when she was young, so we didnot have to wake the poor girl up when we took her out of the car and put her in the stroller.

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lilmissmaria37 says "I would recomend this to all parents" about Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat

lilmissmaria37 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:52:47 GMT

when i went looking for a car seat i looked at alot. I found this 3-1 car seat and even thou it was the most expensive ( $175.00 USD) i did the math. what i determind was that where it may cost me alot now, in the long run it will pay itself off. i started using it when my daughter was 9 months old ad about 15lbs. when i say "pay its self off" i mean that you can buy a infant carseat that will last till the child is about 20 lbs, then buy one that will go till they are 60 lbs, but then you have to buy a booster seat till they weight atleast 100 lbs. which is the law. So now you done speant buy the time you get all these car seats at least $250.00-$275.00 USD. where if you just get the 3-1 you have all 3, hence the name. the child should probley be at least 20 lbs when you first start to use it and they can hold their head up but you can keep using it till they are 75 lbs, and then make it a booster seat till they are 100 lbs. It is light to carry hardly takes up any room , no more then...

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searcher7105 says "Easy to install" about Recaro Vivo

searcher7105 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:45:43 GMT

The Recaro Vivo was easy to install. It does not install like a regular car seat it as it does not have any belts attached to the Vivo itself. It just sits in the back seat of the car and it uses the cars seat-belts to wrap around the child. It works just like any seat belt that an adult uses.

The Recaro is adjustable for the child using it and has the extended head rest that protects the childs head and neck. Plus, it has wings to lean their head against if they fall asleep while in the seat, thus avoiding a stiff neck. It is adjustable to fit snug on the cars back seat.

You have to position the Vivo on one side of the car or the other, it can not be positionened in the center of the car because you have to use shoulder belts with it. You have to pull the seat-belt around the child and the Vivo and fasten into the seat belts clip. It seems a little inconvenient to me to reach across the seat to buckle it or reach in from the other side of the car to buckle it.

Fortunately,...

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lkub says "We have 2 Graco Nautilus seats in our car and they're great!" about Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat

lkub — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:39:11 GMT

We have both of our kids in the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat seats and they're great. I love the fact that they can be used up to 65 pounds with the harness, with the seat belt as a booster, and as a backless boster! The cupholder is great because it is built in to the armrest and the little storage cubbies in the arms are a great place for my kids to store all their little "treasures." The latches are pretty easy to use, too.

I know other reviewers wish this seat were convertible (able to be used rear-facing), but I don't think the seats would be as great if they had to be able to be rear-facing. The convertible seats we have in my husband's car are cumbersome and a pain in the neck to convert the latches from rear to forward facing configurations.

The only con is that I wish the fabric were a little easier to take off and clean. They are, however easier than most other car seats (except Britax).

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